States may be FORCED to implement ObamaCare

So far, 26 states have opted against building ObamaCare exchanges, making it clear to Kathleen Sebelius that her Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will have to do all of the work and pay the tab for the creation of any Affordable Care Act “sales center” within their borders. And as the Act provides no funds for the Department to build or staff an exchange, implementation of ObamaCare rules and regulations would seem impossible within those states.

Moreover, in addition to throwing the financial burden of the Affordable Care Act back in the lap of an unprepared HHS, a number of state legislatures have passed laws making the Act’s implementation and enforcement illegal.

The Obama administration has announced its intent to disregard state laws and state constitutional amendments prohibiting the enforcement of ObamaCare. Federal agents from the Department of Health and Human Services will assume absolute control over states’ health insurance industry and regulation in states that refuse to comply with the federal healthcare mandates.

What could be more convenient than to “disregard” those things that threaten your plans!

This latest example of the limitless hubris of the Obama Regime began when Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak received a letter from Gary Cohen, Director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) informing him that “…the federal government will impose ObamaCare regulations on insurance companies in Oklahoma.”

Cohen’s letter came in response to a law passed by the Oklahoma legislature nullifying the implementation of ObamaCare in the state. HHS decided to take a hand by informing all health insurance providers in the state that “…enforcement of the law’s requirements will be handled by [HHS].” Shortly thereafter, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) demanded all state providers “…submit all group and individual health insurance policy forms, certificates, riders, endorsements, and amendments, as well as any other requested material pertinent to the market reforms of the Affordable Care Act to CMS for review.”

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In short, the federal bureaucracy intends to utterly ignore the will of the people of Oklahoma by summarily overturning any “unfriendly” statutes written by their elected representatives!

What will this mean for health insurance customers in the state? Apparently, those who purchase insurance through the federally managed ObamaCare exchange will wind up with different policies, be forced to follow different procedures, and generally pay much higher premiums than residents who purchase coverage directly from an insurance company, whether individually or as part of a group through their employer. Two sets of rules will exist in the state.

But rest assured, as HHS will not tolerate competition, Katherine Sebelius & Co will soon disallow the purchase of any insurance plan unless it be through the ObamaCare exchange.

Of course, that is an ObamaCare exchange that has yet to be built and for which the Affordable Care Act itself made no financial provision!